August has stopped shipping the View doorbell due to WiFi issues

August makes some pretty darn good smart locks and doorbells, so reports of the new August View doorbell camera having connectivity issues is out of the norm. Until August manages to fix the issue, it has decided to halt shipping of any new units, while any owners can apply for a full refund.

The issue? Frequent disconnects from the WiFi network that the August View is connected to, making the wireless video doorbell, well, just a doorbell. For a $220 device, you’d expect solid WiFi performance and that just isn’t the case currently. Apparently, August used a new WiFi chip inside the View, which was chosen to eke out more battery life from the no-wires needed video doorbell.

The chip is supposed to keep the doorbell sleeping in a low-power state until an event wakes it up

It does, but it also has major WiFi connectivity issues, making Live View almost unusable. It seems that mesh WiFi networks are the worst compatibility-wise, with August working on how to make the chip compatible with the multiple access points in the average mesh configuration.

When you purchase an August product, you trust us with the most important parts of your life: your home and your family. We value your trust greatly and it is our top priority. In order to fully evaluate the user feedback, implement critical improvements, run further testing, and keep our commitment to you, we are pausing shipping of the August View.

It’s not often I get to report on a manufacturer taking proactive steps to rectify product issues, so full marks to August for their handling of this issue.

Anyone who bought an August View can either return it to the place of purchase for a refund or if you want to help August troubleshoot, fill in the refund form on their site and you’ll get a refund plus be able to keep the doorbell. You’ll need to get cracking though, as the refund window closes on May 3.

Do you have an August doorbell? Surprised by the news? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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